What Iowa's Major Cities Looked Like In 1940 May Shock You. Dubuque Especially.

These past 200 years or so have seen some of the most rapid cultural development in human history. The industrial era changed everything, and when the people of the world waged war upon each other, life was changing for everybody. To peek back at those significant times, and times thereafter, here are some pictures of Iowa’s greatest cities.

Photogrammer.yale.edu/ John Vachon

This photo was taken of a city street with the capitol building standing tall in the background.

Photogrammar.yale.edu/ John Vachon

Here is a photo of a bustling intersection in April of 1940 beside the Kirkwood Hotel. Even then Des Moines was Iowa's largest city.

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Photogrammar.yale.edu/ John Vachon

And a similar photo, but of the warm summer night life.

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Photogrammar.yale.edu/ Arthur Rothstein

Davenport began undergoing exponential industrial growth in the forties and fifties. This photo was taken of the bridge across the Mississippi River in February of 1940.

Photogramamar.yale.edu/ Arthur Rothstein

It's amazing to think about how much the city has grown since this snowy winter afternoon in 1940.

Photogrammar.com/ John Vachon

Dubuque was one of Iowa's biggest cities in 1940, and this photo of its famous courthouse is truly impressive.

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Photogrammar.yale.edu

This image was taken before the first school bell, and captured a group of school children playing in front of a church.

Photo Credit

This photo was snapped of a man walking through Dubuque's business section in 1940.

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Photogrammar.yale.edu/ John Vachon

This is Bluff Street in 1940. It is one of the oldest residential streets in Iowa, and even predates Chicago.

Photogrammar.yale.edu/ John Vachon

After the formation of an ordnance plant, the FSA (Farm Security Administration) had these trailer park living units constructed for the workers.

Photogrammar.yale.edu/ John Vachon

And here, a pleasant look at the Burlington downtown scene on a February afternoon in 1942.

Photogrammar.yale.edu/ John Vachon

Even back in the forties, Iowans were no strangers to maneuvering their vehicles through snow and slush.

If you have seen similar photographs while looking through old family things, share them online to make sure they won’t get forgotten.What did you think of these photos? Tell us in the comments below.